


Pine Ridge: Season 1

by captainamergirl



Category: Guiding Light
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Guiding Light remembered, Post-Canon, Spinoff, a twist in our story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:55:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21614167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainamergirl/pseuds/captainamergirl
Summary: After the town of Springfield was destroyed by a tornado in October 2009, residents were diverted to other townships in the surrounding areas. Some of our favorite characters end up in Pine Ridge, Illinois, and that's where the story really begins ...
Relationships: A.C. Mallet/Marina Cooper, Ava Peralta/Jonathan Randall, Ava Peralta/Original Character(s), Beth Raines/Phillip Spaulding, Bill Lewis/Elizabeth Spaulding, Natalia Rivera/Olivia Spencer, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Shayne Lewis/Dinah Marler, Shayne Lewis/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	Pine Ridge: Season 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will have a number of OCs so please know that. TY if you give it a chance.

** Episode 1: Welcome to the Neighborhood **   
  
_**January 2010** _   
  
"What a Christmas, huh?" Olivia said as she went over to the trash bin and started to toss their little tree into it.   
  
"Don't throw it away," Natalia said, moving over to her lover and grabbing the little potted tree out of her hands. "We can replant it in the backyard."   
  
Olivia sighed. "Who knew I was involved with a tree-hugging liberal-type?"    
  
Natalia smiled and set the little tree on the counter, reaching for Olivia's hands. "This will be the symbol of our new beginning."   
  
"That's not very encouraging considering its half dead."   
  
"No, it's half  _alive,"_ Natalia said with a chuckle, ever the optimist.   
  
Olivia smiled and leaned over, capturing Natalia's lips in a kiss. Natalia wrapped her arms around Olivia's waist and gave into the pleasure the kiss brought her. She never would have believed after Gus's death that she could find true love again and yet she had and it was with a woman, her former nemesis. If someone told her two years ago she could be this happy, she would have laughed in their faces ... Politely, of course.   
  
They finally pulled apart, completely breathless. Natalia grinned. "That was some kiss, Ms. Spencer."   
  
Olivia smirked irreverently. "Maybe it was caused by the power radiating from our little 'love tree'."   
  
Natalia laughed. "You're mocking me."   
  
"No, I'm mocking this poor excuse for a Charlie Brown tree."   
  
Natalia picked up the potted tree again. "Well I love it. And I'm going to go plant it right now before you get any more ideas about destroying it."   
  
Olivia nodded. "Okay then, I'll go check on Francesca. She's probably close to waking up from her nap."   
  
Natalia nodded. "Thanks."   
  
Olivia simply smiled and then started in the opposite direction of her lover. She was just past the entryway when the doorbell suddenly chimed. "Who could that be?" She wondered aloud. "Maybe another well-wisher falling all over themselves to welcome us to the neighborhood. Until they realize we're lesbians. That always sends them running away real fast."   
  
Olivia slowly pulled open the door and her eyes widened in surprise. "Ava..."   
  
"Hey, Mom," Ava said with a causal shrug.  _"Surprise ...?"_   
  
Olivia's eyes fell on Ava's full, clearly pregnant belly. "I'd say that's an understatement."   
  
XoXoXo   
  
"Oh, Bud, that was ..."    
  
"Wonderful," Josh filled in.   
  
Reva grinned as she rolled over to face him. "I was going to say fantastic but wonderful will do."   
  
Josh smiled and kissed her flush on the mouth. But before they could start round three, they heard Colin stirring in the next room, calling for his "Mama".   
  
"There's your son," Josh said. "He is as incorrigible as his mom."   
  
Reva smiled as she climbed out of bed and started to get dressed. "You say that like it's a bad thing."   
  
"You know it's not," Josh said as she grabbed his own clothes off the back of the chair.   
  
They got dressed and Reva started out of the room with Josh following after her.    
  
Suddenly the phone rang and Josh sighed. "I'd better get that. I'll be right there in a moment. Let me get rid of whoever has the nerve to bother us on a wonderful day like this in our new home."   
  
Reva smiled. "Whatever you say, bud."   
  
She walked down the hall and Josh ran back over to the phone on the desk. "Hello?" No answer.  _"Hello?"_   
  
Still no answer and then a dial tone was ringing in his ears. Josh just shook his head and hung up the phone, hurrying after Reva.   
  
XoXoXo   
  
**_Somewhere in Mississippi_ **   
  
Jeffrey hung up the phone and sighed. He knew Josh was back in Reva's life; of course he knew that but that hadn't stopped him from trying to reach out to her. Apparently, though it was a bad idea because Josh had been the one to answer the call. In a way, Jeffrey was grateful because he knew keeping his distance was the right thing to do. Or at least, it was the safest thing to do. Edmund was still out there, waiting to strike with the least provocation and Jeffrey couldn't have that; couldn't deal with losing everything, especially his wife and son.   
  
_She's not your wife anymore, Jeffrey; she's Josh's bride now,_ he reminded himself but it didn't make things any easier. He had spent yet another Christmas alone in his little hole-in-the-wall cabin and now it was just a few days after new year's and this was a time he was supposed to be surrounded by his loved ones and yet he couldn't be.   
  
_Damn you, Edmund Winslow, damn you! One day I'm going to get a hold of you and strangle the devil out of you for doing this to me. For doing this to my family._   
  
He turned away from the payphone and walked slowly away from what he felt was his last lifeline.   
  
XoXoXo   
  
Ava blushed furiously under Olivia's intense, questioning gaze. "Well, can I come in?" she finally asked.   
  
"Oh, of course," Olivia said, stepping back to let Ava inside.   
  
"Can I have a hug too?" Ava asked.   
  
Olivia nodded and the two women embraced awkwardly around Ava's swollen abdomen.    
  
When they pulled apart, Ava looked around the house. "This seems like a nice place."   
  
"It'll do."   
  
"I was so glad you to hear that you and the girls were okay. When I heard about the tornado, I was really worried."   
  
"Uh huh," Olivia said, thinking Ava might have bothered calling if she was so worried. "Anyway, have a seat. I'll get you some coffee ... Or milk actually ..."   
  
Ava sighed as she dropped down onto the big, secondhand brocade sofa. Olivia's new furniture had yet to arrive and of course everything else had been destroyed in the disaster. For now, they had to make do with other people's castoffs.   
  
"I don't need anything," Ava said.   
  
"Really?" Olivia said skeptically.   
  
"Well, I could use some time to talk to my mother."   
  
Olivia nodded and sat down beside her eldest daughter. "You look great, Ava."   
  
"Oh please, don't lie. I'm a whale. I've gained nearly forty pounds ..."   
  
"Well you still look pretty to me," Olivia said. "But aren't pregnant women supposed to glow with happiness?"   
  
Ava pulled a face. "Did you glow when you were pregnant with me?"   
  
"Point taken."    
  
Olivia sighed and lightly touched Ava's full belly. "So how did this happen?"   
  
Ava smirked in spite of herself. "Well there's this little thing called sex and -"   
  
Olivia frowned. "Seriously though, what's going on? Who's the father?"   
  
XoXoXo   
  
Mel was sitting in the little café across the street from the hospital sipping a cup of coffee absent-mindedly, lost in her thoughts when she heard someone say, "Refill?"   
  
"Huh?" She looked up to see a tall, mocha-skinned woman watching her. She was holding a large pot of coffee in her left hand.   
  
"Refill?" The woman said with a little smile.   
  
Mel nodded. "Yes, please," she said and watched as the woman poured more coffee into her mug.   
  
"Thanks," she said.    
  
"Welcome," the woman said. "I'm Brenda, by the way."   
  
Mel smiled. "It's nice to finally put a name with a face. You always seem to be here, night or day, when I come in after a shift."   
  
The woman called Brenda nodded. "Yeah, we're short-staffed right now so I have to pull extra weight. If you know anyone who's looking for a job, shove them my way."   
  
"You own the place?"   
  
Brenda nodded. "Yes. It's not much to look at but it was my Mama's dream to own a café and she passed this down to me when she left the earth."   
  
"Oh I'm so sorry," Mel said.   
  
"Don't be. She went peacefully so I can't complain."   
  
Mel nodded. "That's good ... Uh, how long will the position be open? My daughter could actually use a job."   
  
"It will be open till its filled," Brenda said with an easy smile. "How old's your daughter?"   
  
"Almost nineteen."   
  
"Great. If she would like a job, she has one."   
  
Mel smiled. "Thank you so much."   
  
"Welcome."   
  
Brenda suddenly gestured out the window. "Here comes that handsome man of yours."   
  
Mel turned around and sure enough Cyrus was coming up the walk towards the café. Mel grimaced a bit but forced a smile when Cyrus walked in and breezed over to her, brushing her cheek lightly with his warm lips. "Hello, sweetheart."   
  
"Hey, Cyrus," Mel said and turned back to introduce Brenda to him but she had already discreetly moved away.   
  
XoXoXo   
  
Reva was hugging Colin to her hip when Josh walked into the room. Right away the little boy's face lit up with happiness.  _"Daddy!"_ he crowed and clapped his hands.   
  
Josh looked at the little boy in surprise and then at Reva. "Just go with it," she said. "What can it hurt now?"   
  
XoXoXo   
  
Ava shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, thinking of a way to avoid answering Olivia's paternity question. She had known her mom would want to know the identity of the father but she still hadn't thought of a good way to address the delicate issue.   
  
She sighed, finally finding her voice as Olivia watched her. "It's someone I met while I was vacationing in Newport Beach awhile back."   
  
"Tell me you at least know his name and that he's going to take responsibility for the child he helped create."   
  
"Yes, I know his name," Ava said with a sniff. "And he can't take responsibility because ... well, he doesn't -"   
  
"He doesn't know," Olivia filled in.   
  
"Yeah ..."   
  
"Ava, why didn't you tell him? Is he some hopelessly deficient person?"   
  
"I don't think so..."   
  
"Did he hurt you?" Olivia demanded.   
  
"No! Not at all. In fact, he was surprisingly gentle. He's just kind of ..."   
  
_"Married?"_   
  
"No. At least not quite yet ..."   
  
"Ava!"   
  
"I know, okay, I know but I just couldn't help myself."   
  
Olivia just shook her head.   
  
XoXoXo   
  
Marina was bustling around the apartment she shared with Shayne and their son, trying to get ready for her first shift at the Pine Ridge Police Department. She was worried she would feel hopelessly lost and inept in front of the other officers but tried to swallow down her anxiety as best as she could.   
  
She was still buttoning her uniform when there was a knock at the door. She sighed and quickly headed for the door, forgetting her shirt for the moment as she nearly tripped over one of Henry's big Tonka trucks.    
  
She righted herself and pulled the door open, immediately gasping in shock as she saw who was standing before her. "Mallet," she said, suddenly hyper-aware that her shirt was still halfway unbuttoned and even mostly clothed, she had never felt more naked in front of him than she did at that moment.   
  
XoXoXo   
  
**_Hawaii_ **   
  
Cassie Layne Winslow looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She looked thinner than she ever had. And not a sexy thin either. Skeletal. Skinnier than most supermodels. Her hair was rapidly beginning to fall out and there were dark circles under her eyes. She didn't like to think of herself as a vain woman but she knew that she had never looked worse in her life.   
  
There was a knock on the door and she muttered, "Come in."   
  
"Hey, Cassie," he greeted her.   
  
"Dr. McCullough ..."   
  
"Sean. It's Sean, remember?"   
  
"I do, of course. It's just you're a doctor now and its ... well, I feel compelled to say 'doctor' in spite of our complicated past."   
  
"You never had a problem calling me Sean before."   
  
"That was then, this is now ..." Cassie said. She turned and looked back into the mirror, sighing. She felt she was getting worse looking every time she glanced in the mirror.   
  
She looked up as Sean cleared his throat. "Cassie, your latest test results came in ..."   
  
Cassie nodded, watching his suddenly somber face. "Not good, huh?"   
  
"Well, I'll be honest; they don't look as promising as I had hoped."   
  
"So I guess this means another round of chemotherapy? More hair loss? More worshiping the porcelain gods? More hospital stays?"   
  
"Cassie ..." He paused for a moment. "I think you need your family right now."   
  
Cassie eyes watered at the unspoken implication that she was dying. "I have RJ," she said.   
  
"He's not the only one who loves you. I think you should go home."   
  
"What home?" Cassie scoffed. "Springfield was destroyed in a tornado last I heard."   
  
"You're going to say this is cliché, but home is where the heart is."   
  
She smirked a little. "You're right. That is cliché."   
  
"C'mon, Cassie, let your relatives be there for you. They would want to be there for you in your time of need. Especially Reva, I'm sure, who's been through this struggle herself."   
  
"I am the last person Reva wants to see," Cassie grumbled. "She still blames me for stealing her soulmate."   
  
"I doubt that. If I know Reva, she will swallow her pride and drop everything to be there for you."   
  
"I don't think this is such a good idea ..."   
  
"Cassie, you have breast cancer. And I am not going to stand here and lie to you. Your chances for survival don't look exceptionally bright at the moment. If you won't go home for yourself, what about your son, RJ? If god forbid something happens to you, he's going to need his family. He's only nineteen. He's barely an adult."   
  
Cassie nodded. "He has had to grow up much too fast because of the choices I made."   
  
"Stop the self-pity, Cassie, and pick up that phone and get a plane ticket to wherever your family is living these days."   
  
Cassie nodded mutely, not seeing how she could argue with Sean's logic. RJ needed Reva and Josh and maybe she did too...


End file.
